Only in the year 2020 could a team win just five games and then play for both a state and national championship all in one fell swoop.
- next week.- - only in the year 20-20, could a- team win just five games... and- then play for both a state and- national championship... all in- one fell swoop.
- granted... mississippi gulf - coast hasn't lost any games - either... now on the verge of - capping off perhaps the - most successful run... in - program history.- nat ---> running chainsaw - if attempting to bring a runnin- chainsaw onto the field, before- the final game of the regular - season... is any indication...- m-g-- c-c-c's national championship - swagger... is certainly alive - and well.
- "we came in on top.
We want to leave on top.
Let's finish doin- what we were doing- and take it home."
"getting ready for this game, it's a very big game.
We've got- a lot of stakes at hand.- who wants to be the big dog in- the south, you feel me?"
Opponents have been feeling the- bulldogs, all season long...- especially over their last thre- games... in which they've won b- a - combined score... of 106-14.- that has gulf coast rocking the- league's best scoring - defense... also known as the- regulators... giving up less- than 13 points per game.- "it's big.
Coach shufelt, since the first day i got here has- been calling us the - regulators, and we're going to- mount up and ride."
Leading that defensive giddyup- is mississippi state- commit navonteque strong... - a-k-a bug... who leads- the team in tackles... tackles- for loss... sacks... and- forced fumbles... as the- nation's top-ranked inside- linebacker, according to 24-7 - sports.
- "he's a great leader for our defense.
He's definitely the- bell cow so to speak on that- side of the football.
When he - speaks, everybody listens.
So - he's been a great - player for us for two years, an- i'm really looking forward to - see where he winds up - - next and how well he's able to- perform at the next level."
The m-a-c-c-c defensive player- of the week two times running..- strong is just one of 22 gulf - coast players... with at least- one - division i offer.
- overall... the bulldogs return- 26 players, from last year's- - - - national championship team... t- go along with 34- newcomers.- one of those freshmen is former- picayune star running - back cameron thomas... who as a- senior... was tied for the- nation lead, with more than 35-- hundred yards rushing... but- fell just one game short... of- - - - that ever-elusive gold ball.- "oh, it's very big.
It's something that i don't have tha- i would love to get.
A state- title is- very big.
I played for one last- year and came up short, and it- - - - still weighs on me, you feel me- so it's very big playing for a- state title."
"we've got a lot of kids that played at really good high- schools that maybe- didn't have the chance to play- for a state title or didn't win- one, so this means a lot to the- players.
It means a real lot to- the players, and we owe it to - them as coaches to put a- great gameplan out there for- them to execute, cause they - - - - don't know how many - opportunities they'll get like- this."
Standing in the way of back-to-- back state crowns... is - coach wright's former school, - northwest mississippi... in a - re-match of last year's - championship game.- and since the m-a-c-c-c is the- only league in the country- playing football this fall, due- to covid-19... one could- argue...- gulf coast is not only playing- for its 17th state title... but- also- its sixth national title.
- - either way... one more win woul- tie a 46-year-old school record- of 22 straight... and would mar- the first time gulf coast ever- posted back-to-back un- - defeated... or un-tied seasons.- in other words... m-g-c-c-c - football immortality.
- "right now, we're looking at it like do or die.
You feel me?
Yo- want to come up big - or you want to come up short?
I- would say that the team has a - lot of confidence."
"it's a title game, no doubt about it.
Whether it's a state- title, a national title or- a conference title - however yo- want to term it - it's a title- game.
It'll be that kind- of atmosphere.
It'll be that- kind of performance by both - teams."
- - - saturday's state title game wil- kick off, at 7 p-m... from a-l- may -
Another Coast football team was playing in a championship rematch Saturday as Mississippi Gulf Coast went head-to-head with..
